Another common symptom of SARS is a cough that develops a few days to a week after contracting the virus. Some people with the virus have a dry, hacking cough, but don't cough up phlegm or sputum. Others have a productive cough that produces thick, discolored sputum or blood. The cough is due to inflammation in the airways from the immune system's response to the virus. One way the virus spreads is from respiratory droplets released into the air from coughing.

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